Mertansine

Mertansine

Names
Other names Maytansinoid DM1 N2'-deacetyl-N2'-(3-mercapto-1-oxopropyl)-maytansine
Identifiers
ChEBI	CHEBI:82755
Jmol 3D model	Interactive image
PubChem	11343137
InChI InChI=1S/C35H48ClN3O10S/c1-19-10-9-11-26(46-8)35(44)18-25(47-33(43)37-35)20(2)31-34(4,49-31)27(48-32(42)21(3)38(5)28(40)12-13-50)17-29(41)39(6)23-15-22(14-19)16-24(45-7)30(23)36/h9-11,15-16,20-21,25-27,31,44,50H,12-14,17-18H2,1-8H3,(H,37,43)/b11-9+,19-10+/t20-,21+,25+,26-,27+,31+,34+,35+/m1/s1 Key: ANZJBCHSOXCCRQ-FKUXLPTCSA-N
SMILES CC1C2CC(C(C=CC=C(CC3=CC(=C(C(=C3)OC)Cl)N(C(=O)CC(C4(C1O4)C)OC(=O)C(C)N(C)C(=O)CCS)C)C)OC)(NC(=O)O2)O
Properties
Chemical formula	C35H48ClN3O10S
Molar mass	738.29 g·mol^−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Mertansine, also called DM1 (and in some of its forms emtansine), is a thiol-containing maytansinoid that for therapeutic purposes is attached to a monoclonal antibody through reaction of the thiol group with a linker structure to create an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).

ADCs with this design include trastuzumab emtansine, lorvotuzumab mertansine, and cantuzumab mertansine. Some are still experimental; others are in regular clinical use.

Mechanism of action

Mertansine is a tubulin inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the assembly of microtubules by binding to tubulin (at the rhizoxin binding site).^[1]

The monoclonal antibody binds specifically to a structure (usually a protein) occurring in a tumour, thus directing mertansine into this tumour. This concept is called targeted therapy.

Uses and chemistry

The following (experimental) drugs are antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) combining monoclonal antibodies with mertansine as the cytotoxic component. Mertansine is linked via 4-mercaptovaleric acid.^[2]

ADCs include:

• Bivatuzumab mertansine
• Cantuzumab mertansine^[3]
• Lorvotuzumab mertansine (IMGN901) for CD56 positive cancers, for example multiple myeloma^[4]

Emtansine

DM1 can also be linked via a more complicated structure – 4-(3-mercapto-2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-cylohexanecarboxylic acid or SMCC –, in which case the International Nonproprietary Name of the conjugate formed contains the word emtansine. The abbreviation comes from the chemical designation "succinimidyl-trans-4-(maleimidylmethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate" which is used in the primary literature^[5] as well as by the World Health Organization (WHO)^[6] despite the fact that the linker contains only one imide group according to the WHO.^[2]

DM1 and its attachment via these linkers result from ImmunoGen Inc research.

An example is:

• Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), an anti-HER2/neu antibody-drug conjugate^[7][8]

References

1. National Cancer Institute: Definition of Maytansine
2. "International Nonproprietary Names (INN) for pharmaceutical substances: Names for radicals, groups & others" (PDF). WHO. 2012: 66f.
3. "International Nonproprietary Names for Pharmaceutical Substances (INN): List 89" (PDF). WHO. 2003: 188.
4. "ImmunoGen reports encouraging clinical data of IMGN901". The Medical News. 6 December 2009.
5. "Clinical pharmacology of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1): an antibody–drug conjugate in development for the treatment of HER2-positive cancer". Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 69 (5): 1229–1240. May 2012. doi:10.1007/s00280-011-1817-3. PMC: 3337408. PMID 22271209.
6. "International Nonproprietary Names for Pharmaceutical Substances (INN): List 103" (PDF). WHO. 2010: 172.
7. National Cancer Institute: trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 antibody-drug conjugate
8. ImmunoGen: Trastuzumab-DM1